


Vignettes

by ayatsujik



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 02:37:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayatsujik/pseuds/ayatsujik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimers: Not my characters or world, and not for the fluff-allergic.</p><p>As the title says. Five short pieces that could be linked, or not, involving Natsume and his foster parents, Natori, Nyanko-sensei, and Hiiragi in imagined situations that are canon-compatible. Implied buddings of Natori/Natsume. </p><p>1. Broadcasting [放送コード]<br/>2. Rambles [お散歩、いかない？]<br/>3. Refreshment [くつろぎ茶会]<br/>4. Aura [きらめいててご免]<br/>5. Warmth [マフラーマン]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vignettes

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Impresje](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2807843) by [Klawa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klawa/pseuds/Klawa)



_for Elaine_

**Broadcasting [放送コード]**

"Oh my," he heard Touko exclaim from the living room. "Takashi-kun!"

Natsume put his glass of water down on the kitchen counter and headed towards her. "What's the matter, Touko-san?"

His adopted mother pointed to the television screen. "Isn't that your friend?"

"Huh?"

Probably it was ( _who else could it possibly be?_ ) -- but he sat down beside Touko on the couch and looked anyway. The candy-cotton melancholy of a pop song was lilting in accompaniment to a video of a young man and woman running along a coastline at sunset. The camera zoomed in. Sure enough, a familiar face appeared, all sparkles and imaginary roses blooming in the background -

Natsume sighed, experienced a fleeting urge to massage his temples, and then remembered to laugh.

"I don't see what's so funny - Takashi-kun, you never said he was famous!" Touko huffed. "I did think he was handsome enough to be an actor, but if I'd only known when he came by...if my friend hadn't recommended this new afternoon drama, you'd never have told me, would you?"

"...Touko-san, if people knew what he was like in real life, I have a feeling he'd be a lot less popular."

"Oh?" Touko looked at him, the corners of her mouth crinkling in amusement. "And what's he really like, then?"

He wasn't actually prepared to answer, if only because there were far too many truths that couldn't be told. It was, in fact, a surprisingly difficult question. _Tall hat glasses paper spirit creatures lizard flicking across his skin so much still so much to talk about with him so much I still don’t know --_

"Weird."

Touko laughed, ruffling his hair. "You'll have to invite him over again so I can see for myself, won't you?"

"Ehh."

"It's good that you have friends who make you so frank, Takashi-kun."

"....Ugh."

 

**Rambles [お散歩、いかない？]**

Natori showed up unannounced at the Fujiwara residence one afternoon in late autumn, much to Touko's delight. After tea, including cakes that Natori had brought for them, and a stream of small talk that revolved around Touko’s enthusiastic praise of Natori's latest leading role in the drama about a doctor at a seaside sanatorium who was in love with his beautiful but terminally ill patient, the phone rang.

Touko stepped out to answer it, and Natsume finally got to ask, warily, "Why exactly are you here, Natori-san?"

"Surely I don't need a formal reason to visit friends, Natsume. It's been a while, after all."

At Natsume's feet, Nyanko-sensei swallowed the last of a slice of Mont Blanc and rumbled something about strange brats with annoying followers being good for something every now and then. Hiiragi, who had been perched on the windowsill behind Natori's chair the entire time, pulled his tail. An impromptu scuffle ensued.

"Dear me, what's wrong with the kitty?" Touko-san asked, reappearing in the door. "Is he chasing mice?"

"Just his own tail," Natori cheerfully replied, shooting a warning glance at Hiiragi as Natsume hastily yanked Nyanko-sensei onto his lap. "You've been such a kind hostess, Fujiwara-san. I should get going, actually, but wouldn't you enjoy a walk? It's such a beautiful day it would be a shame to stay indoors. We should all go and enjoy the maple leaves, they're at their best now."

"What a lovely idea, Natori-san. How I wish I could! But I need to see to some chores, and I'm sure I'll be able to go for a walk with my husband or Takashi-kun soon - but of course, you must take Takashi-kun with you now, it'll be good for him to work up an appetite before dinner."

"Touko-san --"

"Leave Takashi-kun to me," Natori said, still beaming as he dragged a reluctant Natsume towards the front door. "I trust I haven't been too much of a nuisance, Fujiwara-san. Thank you very much for a wonderful time; I do hope I may call on you again when I'm next in town?"

In the wake of Touko's glowingly-delivered affirmatives, Natsume walked alongside Natori in silence, Nyanko-sensei perched on his shoulder in cake-stuffed contentment.

"....What's wrong?" Natori finally asked.

Natsume sighed. "Just - are you sure there isn't something you need to do here, Natori-san? Like...an exorcism? That you think I could be involved with?"

Natori adjusted his hat. "No, there isn't."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Natsume," Hiiragi interjected. "He's telling the truth this time."

"Hiiragi, don't make me sound so untrustworthy," Natori chided. "Natsume...I just wanted to see how you and the kitty were doing, that's all."

Natsume took a deep breath, and thought of the spaces between people, of how physical proximity could have no impact on the distances between ways of seeing, understanding, feeling. Of how similarities did not always amend differences. Of the courage it took to try and build bridges; of the risks one had to be open to in order to even start. Of trust and how it had to be layered like paper in the making.

_but if not with someone capable of looking at the same world_  
if not with someone you want to understand  
someone who knows what it’s like 

_then who with?_

When he next glanced over at Natori, he looked the same as ever: a tall, lanky figure wearing a hat, glasses, and cardigan; his serious expression tinged with something like resignation, almost sadness. The lizard-being that lived in his skin skittered across his neck and disappeared under his collar, a flicker of unnatural darkness.

Natsume’s chest felt tight, a sensation he’d begun to recognize was better released in words. Even if not necessarily the perfect ones; even if they might never be perfect.

"Actually, Natori-san...I've grown two centimetres over the past month."

"Have you?" Natori replied, his face brightening. "Maybe you have a chance of catching up to me, then."

"I bet I'll overtake you in a year, just you wait!"

"Oho, you'd better eat more and exercise more first, or you'll never achieve that, young man."

"Mrrr, I'll eat this arrogant punk any time you say so, Natsume."

"Nyanko-sensei, that's not going to help."

"Nushi-sama, shall I silence this pig-cat on your behalf?"

He walked alongside Natori and their spirit friends, the glorious autumn foliage rustling around them. Natori reached out and brushed off a fallen leaf from his hair, long fingers as gentle as his smile.

 

**Refreshment [くつろぎ茶会]**

He let Natori take him out to tea once, on the pretext of needing to make time to ask him about protective charms anyway. And after all, if they were going to be friends, then he, Natsume, would just have to put up with the Natori Field, otherwise known as the older man's unfortunate tendency to attract every female eye within a half-kilometre radius on removing his hat and glasses.

At least the man had decent taste in teahouses. Natsume took an instant liking to the place, a small establishment with Japanese-style architecture: tatami-covered floors, the wooden beams of its walls and ceilings a warm, deep brown. Vases of sparsely but artfully arranged flowers and leaves stood in alcoves, under calligraphic scrolls that reminded him of the spirit scribblings in Reiko's book. Elegant, yet cozy. Somehow, even as a high school student in a hooded sweater and jeans, he didn't feel out of place inside. Apparently Natori was a regular here on his days off from filming.

(The best part was that each customer got a small room to themselves, thereby solving the issue of Natori's errant sparkles.)

Their kimono-clad waitress brought in their order, setting the tray down and pouring their first servings for them. She bowed while making her exit, sliding the screen door shut behind her.

Natsume observed his tea, enjoying the contrast of the bright, yellow-tinged green with the delicate white porcelain of its container.

"Tamaryokucha," Natori told him, blowing lightly across the surface of his cup. "The first of the season's local harvest. It's minimally processed, so it's milder and sweeter than many other kinds of green tea. What do you think?"

He sipped carefully, letting the fresh, soft flavour of the warm liquid roll over his tongue, and looked up. "I don't know anything about tea, but it's delicious."

"Thank goodness," Natori said, smiling back. "I'm always looking for things other than spirits over which to meet you."

Natsume paused, wondered how to respond, and decided the easiest thing to do would be to keep sipping.

 

**Aura [きらめいててご免]**

"Is sparkling just something you do automatically?" Natsume asked tiredly, after they had extricated themselves from yet another shocked and delighted crowd of passersby.

"Indeed," Natori said, putting his hat on again. "Unfortunately my light shines for all, no matter how I try to hide it."

Nyanko-sensei, in Natsume's arms, snorted before Natsume could. Natori brushed an errant strand of hair out of his eyes and smiled, the kind of smile that he wore for camera-clutching starry-eyed fans, present or otherwise.

"It never seems to work on you, though."

"Uh," Natsume said. "Is there any reason it should?"

"Well...sometimes I think that would be nice."

Natori was still smiling. But now it was different, his eyes gone suddenly, unexpectedly gentle. The retort half-formed in Natsume's mind lost its edge as he became aware of a strange sensation tickling his chest, vague and unfamiliar. But not unpleasant, somehow. Warm...?

He looked away, shifting his hold on Nyanko-sensei.

"In everyday circumstances, please don't say things that sound like they're from one of your scripts, Natori-san."

 

**Warmth [マフラーマン]**

He'd told Hiiragi to stay behind and rest, as she'd been out on several hard jobs lately. The roads were blanketed in white, but the snow had stopped. On his way to the Fujiwara house, he saw Natsume's slender figure some distance ahead, talking to a tree. Or rather, talking to something on a branch of the tree. Natori stopped to observe, and squinted - it appeared to be a small, shivering spirit with pointed ears and a bushy tail. There was no sense of ill intent coming from the scene, so Natori lingered, observing.

Natsume sighed, unwrapped his scarf, and handed it to the creature. After exchanging some more words, the thing bounded further up the large tree and disappeared into a hole located higher up in the trunk.

"Natori-san," Natsume called out to him. "I got the message you sent via the paper charm, but aren't you a bit early?"

"I thought I would take a stroll before going over," Natori cheerily replied. "Not that I expected to bump into you beforehand, though this is a nice surprise. Where’s the cat, and what were you doing with that creature?"

"Oh...so you did see us." Natsume coughed in embarrassment. "Uh, Nyanko-sensei’s asleep at home, and that spirit was cold and crying on the branch and it has to look after something else in that hole that's also cold...so I gave it my scarf."

"When are you ever going to stop believing everything spirits tell you?" It was not a real reproof, but Natsume continued to look abashed. Then he sneezed.

"Really, now." Natori sighed, and unwound his own scarf, holding it out. "Here, take this till we get to your home."

"I'm fine, you don't need to -"

"Don't argue." He leaned forward and wrapped the scarf around the boy's neck, then stepped back with a thoughtful gaze.

"Light blue really suits you, Natsume."

"Natori-san!"

He laughed, ruffling the boy's hair, and cast an appreciative eye over the pink that had bloomed on his pale cheeks. "Let's go, then."

**Author's Note:**

> The alternate Japanese titles for these pieces, in translation, are as follows:
> 
> 1\. "Broadcasting guidelines" (There should be such a thing as secondhand sparkles transmitted via mass media)  
> 2\. "How about going for a walk?" (In the style of Natori's invitations to Natsume re: hot spring inn and seaside dates)  
> 3\. "Relaxation tea party" (In the fanbook it's mentioned Natori drinks tea as a hobby)  
> 4\. "Sorry for sparkling" (Natori's ultimate catchphrase)  
> 5\. "Man with a scarf" (Reference to the title of a song by Spitz, one of my favourite Japanese rock bands)


End file.
